Raffi Torres is eligible to return from his 41-game suspension on Jan. 14, but an injury will likely keep him out for longer than that.

The 34-year-old forward only resumed skating today after undergoing a procedure on Dec. 11 to have scar tissue removed from his surgically repaired right knee, per the Mercury News. The hope is that he’ll be healthy enough to play shortly after his suspension ends.

As previously reported, there’s no question that the Sharks do plan on using him if he’s healthy despite his lengthy history of controversial hits.

His latest infraction occurred during a preseason game when he hit Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg in the head. Torres has apologized for the incident and said, “I am disappointed I have put myself in a position to be suspended again.”

Between injury woes and suspensions, Torres has only played in 44 games since the start of the 2012-2013 campaign.

Raffi Torres has served 24 of the 41-game suspension he received for a preseason hit to the head of Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg — meaning that, at the time of writing, he’s roughly six weeks away from getting back into the San Jose lineup.

So long as he’s healthy, of course.

Per head coach Peter DeBoer, Torres is “still dealing a little bit with his injury from before.” That injury, you’ll recall, is Torres’ problematic right knee, specifically the surgically repaired ACL that’s undergone a variety of procedures over the last two years, and cost him all of the ’14-15 campaign.

Torres is still eligible to return on Jan. 14 when the Sharks host former coach Todd McLellan and the Edmonton Oilers.

He is working out off the ice, and occasionally skates with his teammates for portions of practice or morning skates, but there’s still some uncertainty whether his surgically repaired knee will allow him to be an effective NHL player when the ban expires.

While Torres’ health is uncertain, San Jose’s plan for him is crystal clear. DeBoer said both he and GM Doug Wilson were on the same page for getting Torres back into the lineup once the suspension is over.

“Raffi is a guy that can help us,” DeBoer said. “If he’s healthy, he can help us. I don’t think Doug [Wilson] or I differ on that opinion.”

“I accept the 41-game suspension handed down to me by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. I worked extremely hard over the last two years following reconstructive knee surgery to resume my NHL career, and this is the last thing I wanted to happen. I am disappointed I have put myself in a position to be suspended again. I sincerely apologize to Jakob for the hit that led to this suspension, and I’m extremely thankful that he wasn’t seriously injured as a result of the play. I also want to apologize to my Sharks teammates and the organization.”

A statement from San Jose GM Doug Wilson:

“The Sharks organization fully supports the NHL’s supplementary discipline decision regarding Raffi. While we do not believe there was any malicious intent, this type of hit is unacceptable and has no place in our game. There is a difference between playing hard and crossing the line and there is no doubt, in this instance, Raffi crossed that line. We’re very thankful that Jakob was not seriously injured as a result of this play.”

The report comes just days after the NHL’s Department of Player Safety levied one of the longest disciplinary rulings in league history, citing both the severity of the Silfverberg hit and Torres’ lengthy history of suspensions, fines and warnings.

There was some thought, however, that Torres would try to challenge the ruling.

Why?

He does have a history of success in that department. In 2012,Torres successfully appealed his suspension for a headshot on Chicago’s Marian Hossa, and had his punishment reduced from 25 games to 21.

Torres also isn’t considered a “repeat offender” under the current collective bargaining agreement, as his last suspension came in 2013.

Of course, part of that clean record is due to the fact he hasn’t played much. Torres has largely been sidelined by injury for the last two seasons, missing all of last year with knee problems.

If you read the relevant sections of the CBA, the league takes the position that the repeat offender status is only applicable to fines. Repeaters are fined on a per-game basis, non-repeaters on a per-day basis. (The former is more expensive, because there are fewer games than days in an NHL season.) However, if you go to Section 18.2, among the factors taken into account are, “the status of the offender and, specifically, whether the Player has a history of being subject to Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct.”

So, in the NHL’s view, a player’s history is relevant, even if longer than 18 months ago.

Should the report prove accurate and Torres doesn’t appeal, he will be eligible to return to action on Jan. 14, when the Sharks take on the Oilers.